The Orb
by Psfluter
Summary: Sam is attacked in her lab by a seemingly harmless object and it's up to Jack to save her. FINISHED
1. The Orb 1

The Orb

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate or any of the characters, but wish I did though.

Summary: Sam is attacked in her lab by a seemingly harmless object and it's up to Jack to save her.

_The Orb_

Sam stepped off the elevator and walked the gray corridor to her lab. It was 0600 and not many people were at the SGC yet. She thought about her morning routine. Today had started out like any other day; get up, shower, get dressed and drive to the mountain. Something just seemed off today though. When she had pulled up to the first checkpoint, she just got this unsettling feeling; nothing she could put her finger on, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up a little. Sam had shaken off the feeling and continued on her way.

She arrived at her lab, swiped her passkey and entered the darkened room. Reaching for the light, she was stopped by a yellowish glow from the corner of the room. Sam thought, 'I didn't leave anything on last night and no one has authorization to use my lab, so what can be causing that light?'

As she approached the corner, she saw that the glow was coming from a small orb hovering in midair. It was one of the artifacts that they had brought back through the gate the day before from an uninhabited desert planet. She and Daniel had found them in an abandoned temple along with some ancient manuscripts. Sam hadn't had the opportunity to study any of the objects yet. It was one of the reasons she had come in early.

As the orb continued to hover, Sam the scientist was curious, but at the same time Sam the soldier was cautious. She was about to back up and hit the alarm button on the wall, when the glow started pulsing.

Sam couldn't take her eyes off the object. It was beautiful. Unconsciously, she took a step forward…

Author's note: This is my first story attempt. Please review so I can improve on things! I'm interested in all you're thoughts!


	2. The Orb 2

The Orb

Chapter 2

The orb continued to pulse and with each pulse the yellowish glow grew with intensity. It was like a beacon calling her closer. Sam took another step forward. She was so mesmerized that she was completely unaware of the shadow which had blocked the doorway to her lab. Colonel O'Neill had also arrived early and had seen Sam's Volvo in the parking lot. He had decided to start his day by seeing which doohickey Sam was poring over in her lab. He knew that she was itching to study the artifacts that she and Daniel had collected on their last mission.

As he reached the door, he saw his 2IC seemingly hypnotized by a glowing object. She was taking slow steady steps, making her way towards it when he called out, "Sam, what are you doing? What the hell is that thing?"

Sam snapped out of her trance and began to turn towards the Colonel to answer. At the moment she moved, the orb's pulsing accelerated to a strobe-like effect and it started moving. Jack saw the orb start to advance toward Sam and he tried to call out in warning to her, but it was too late.

The orb had burst forward towards Sam and collided with the back of the Major's head.

Startled and in pain, Sam cried out "Colonel" and crumpled to the floor. Jack was frozen momentarily as he looked at his Major, lying very still on the floor. He hadn't seen the orb make contact with her, but he had heard the loud thud it had made. He knew that it had to hit with a lot of force. His heart tightened in his chest as the thought of what his life would be like if he lost her shot through his mind.

Quickly, he tossed his emotions aside, hit the alarm button and yelled over the intercom. "Medical emergency in Major Carter's lab, I repeat, medical emergency in Major Carter's lab. We need a medical team here now!"


	3. The Orb 3

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I apologize for the short chapters, I promise to make them longer.

The Orb

Chapter 3

He raced to her side and put his head down to her face to see if she was breathing and then felt for a pulse. He could feel her faint breath on his cheek and found a faint pulse on her neck. Relieved that she was breathing, he tried to maker her comfortable until help arrived. He took off his BDU shirt and made a pillow for her head. As he gently lifted her head, he felt a bump forming. It was about the size of the orb. 'Ouch', he thought to himself 'Well, that's not good. For crying out loud Carter, why couldn't you have ducked?'

As he waited for the medical team, Jack looked around the lab to see if he could locate the orb. It was nowhere to be found. Daniel and Teal'c, having heard the klaxon and intercom message, arrived a moment before the medical team. Dr. Frasier and 3 of her staff pushed past them and rushed to Sam's side, where she still laid immobile on the floor.

Janet took Sam's pulse and announced that she had a pulse but it was weak and erratic.

Janet noticed that Sam's face was very pale and layered with perspiration. She ordered her nurses to take Sam to the infirmary stat. As they loaded Sam on the stretcher, Janet turned to Jack. "What exactly happened here, Colonel?" Jack and the rest of his team followed Janet to the infirmary with Jack telling them of his arrival to the lab, seeing the orb and how it seemingly attacked Major Carter. He also told them of how after the attack the orb disappeared from the lab.

General Hammond, having been called and informed about the emergency, was making his way to the infirmary. He was always concerned about SG1's welfare and always tried to be present when something happened to one of his number 1 team. He arrived just as Jack was finishing the details of the events. Concern turned into action and Hammond said, "I'm ordering a lockdown of the base until that orb is found."

He then turned to Daniel and Teal'c and said, "I want you both to return to Major Carter's lab and secure the other artifacts you brought back from P3X-965 yesterday. I don't want anymore surprises. Take weapons with you just in case." Teal'c returned to his quarters to get his staff weapon while Daniel went to get a zat from the armory. Together they then made their way back to Sam's lab.

Please review! It will only make the story better!


	4. The Orb 4

Disclaimer: Ah let me check. Nope, I still don't own Stargate.

_A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. They are really appreciated, this being the first story I've actually put in print_.

SG-Fan Indeed, I cannot reveal my secret until it is time.

Raylenth My chapters after this one are longer. Sorry for the short chapters, but the beginning cliffhangers just worked there. Thanks also to feb04, sammie77, froggy0319, Natters and all the others who have reviewed.

The Orb

Chapter 4

Jack was forced to wait in the hallway until Janet came out with any news. To say he didn't have patience in times like these, was an understatement. Carter was a valuable member of his team. Sam. Samantha. Just something about hearing or saying her name just seemed to make him complete. Now without hearing her voice, he was empty inside. She was, no he thought, she **IS** a valuable member of **MY** team. He hadn't lost her on any of their previous missions and he wasn't about to let that happen now here on Earth.

General Hammond knew just how far Jack's feelings went for his 2IC, but had looked the other way for some time. He knew the two officers would not put their team or the SGC in jeopardy by acting on their feelings for each other. He just hoped that one day the regulations would be changed so that the two could finally be together. He had been watching the Colonel's expressions fly across his face for the last several moments and could only imagine what Jack had been thinking.

"Jack," Hammond said, "I have every confidence that Major Carter will pull through just fine. Dr. Frasier will find out what's going on and the Major will be back on duty soon."

Jack looked up at his CO and let his eyes speak the words that, if spoken aloud, would get him court-marshaled. He looked down toward his boots again and wished he could believe Hammond's words. That was getting hard though. The longer the medical staff kept him out of the room, his feeling that this time could be bad, VERY bad, just kept creeping over his soul.

Back in the infirmary, Janet and her medical team were assessing Sam's condition, assisted by Dr. Warner. She was hooked up to several machines and there seemed to be wires and tubes everywhere. Janet pointed to one of the machines and said to Dr. Warner, "Look at this readout, I've never seen anything like this, her brainwaves are…pulsing for lack of a better term."

* * *

There are longer chapters coming. I'm just starting out a little tentative to test the waters. Please review! 


	5. The Orb 5

The Orb

Chapter 5

All Sam knew was that as she had become aware of her surroundings, she was unable to move or even open her eyes. She heard sounds, though it seemed as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. It was so hard to hear. She could hear faint conversations between who she believed was Dr. Frasier and Dr. Warner as to what was happening to her. Then she realized that she must be in the infirmary. She felt so helpless that she couldn't communicate. Inside she was screaming, 'Hey, I'm here! I can hear you! Please help me!' Then the tests began. Poking and prodding. At least when they had their normal pre and post gate medicals, Janet and her staff were gentle that they were being at the moment. She felt herself drifting away again and she thought she heard faint buzzing and whirring sounds as nothingness overtook her again.

Meanwhile back in the lab…

Daniel and Teal'c slowly entered Sam's lab and looked for signs of the orb. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, they continued further inside and began to secure the other artifacts as General Hammond had ordered. Teal'c was looking in the area that Sam had the orb stored, while Daniel searched her desk. He spotted a corner of a tablet, paused in his search and started to translate the first couple of phrases. It was in a Goa'uld dialect.

"Teal'c, come over here and look at this." Daniel said in a concerned voice, "I need you to tell me if I have this translation correct." Teal'c approached and looked over Daniel's shoulder. "It says here, if I am reading correctly, that 'The One who delivers the Orb of Isis through the Holy Ring, will be cursed with the wrath of Set', said Daniel, then continued, "But the next couple of lines are worn away."

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson, you are correct." Teal'c said, "However, I believe I can identify the next entry on the tablet with some time." Teal's knew that his symbiote-enhanced eyesight would assist him in reading the tablet. "Please place it here under the lamp," Teal'c directed, "And I will endeavor to finish our task."

Daniel handed the tablet to Teal'c and started pacing the lab while his friend studied the text.

"Daniel Jackson, your movements will not aid in my task, please restrain yourself or I shall." Teal'c said without looking up. Daniel stopped pacing and sat in one of Sam's chairs. After several minutes had passed, Teal'c looked at Daniel, who then tried to read Teal'c's reaction to the tablet, but of course, the Jaffa's features were as stoic as usual. Suddenly, the strong Jaffa stood.

"Daniel Jackson", Teal'c said sadly, "I believe that Major Carter's life is in grave danger."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned... more to come. 


	6. The Orb 6

A/N: I know I'm horrible for leaving you all hanging like that. I really did try to update Monday night. I got an error message. Maybe I got the translation wrong on the tablet on how to log in and upload… Anyway, I promise to resolve things soon. Thanks for your reviews and I hope you keep reading, even though I am an evil cliffhanger novice.

The Orb

Chapter 6

Sam felt herself float up to being able to sense her surroundings again and found that something had forced its way into her mouth and was pushing air into her lungs. It reminded her of the time when Jolinar her as a host. Trying to keep herself calm, since she knew she hadn't the strength fight it anyway, Sam tried to sense what was going on around her other than the machines. She wished she could just open her eyes, but they felt like lead weights. She could hear two nurses discussing her status in hushed tones. Sam caught the words "irregular" and "respirator", so she figured that she had needed help breathing. Sam was finding it hard to stay awake and as she succumbed to the darkness, she heard a mechanical buzzing and whirring faintly in her mind. Just before the blackness shrouded her, she caught a pattern – buzz, whir, buzz, whir… and then nothingness.

Jack was still waiting outside the infirmary doors and was just about ready to barge in and get some answers, as his patience was at an end. He couldn't stand not knowing how Sam was doing. He had just stood up and was preparing to make his move, when Janet opened the door.

"Colonel O'Neill, you can come in and see her, but only for five minutes." Dr. Frasier announced, and added, "And this time I really mean five minutes."

She looked at the Colonel and said less sternly, "Colonel, don't be shocked over the amount of machines that she is attached to. They are monitoring the slightest changes in her condition. Right now they are the only way I will know if and when her situation changes. She is basically in a coma except for the fact that her brainwaves are abnormal. Talk to her, sir, she may be able to hear you."

Unable to hold back any longer, Jack almost knocked the petite doctor over as he rushed into the infirmary. As he approached Sam's bedside, he could see all of the wires and tubes that were connected to her. It reminded him of the entity that had taken her over not too long ago. He felt as helpless now as he had a few months ago when he almost lost her for good. If she had died back then, he didn't know how he would have lived with himself, as he had been the one to fire the second shot from the zat.

Her pallor was as pale gray as he had ever seen a person, and with all his Special Ops, he had seen his share of soldiers with injuries. He sat down in the chair, a chair he had occupied so often when one of his "kids" had found their way into Dr. Frasier's care, and started his vigil until Janet would kick him out.

"Colonel, we had to put her on a respirator because her breathing was irregular and she needed help." Janet said quietly. "The force of the blow to her head has in effect "turned off" some of the areas of the brain that regulate normal involuntary functions, like breathing and circulation. The swelling is still not going down and if it doesn't soon, Sam may have to undergo surgery to relieve the pressure."

Jack just looked down at his pale Major, hoping that she would just wake up and give him one of the crooked smiles she reserved just for him.

Janet left quietly, knowing that the Colonel needed to talk to the one person he needed most.

"Carter, I... uh…, just in case you can hear me, we're all trying to find out what that thing did to you. Please keep fighting. I…, we all need you."

Just a little while longer to see what Teal'c and Daniel have discovered…


	7. The Orb 7

A/N: Ok, here's where things are going to get interesting!

The Orb

Chapter 7

"_Daniel Jackson" Teal'c said sadly, "I believe Major Carter life is in grave danger."_

Daniel looked at Teal'c and was about to ask why when Teal'c began to speak.

"Daniel Jackson, as a young Jaffa we were taught fear and respect for some of the more ruthless Goa'ulds. Set was one of the fiercest and most merciless. He was known for his horrific methods of torture." Teal'c went on to explain that Set was the third offspring of Geb and Nut, and that being the third child of any Goa'uld meant that the child was historically evil from birth. "In ancient times, the Goa'ulds would often order their infants in that birth order to be put to death, as to spare the world from their deeds.

It was said that Set watched his own mother beheaded and this event intensified his thirst for cruelty. This tablet talks of a device that kills slowly and tortures the victim's mind and body before they die. "

"If this orb was created by Set, then we really need to find out how we can help Sam." Daniel added with a concerned voice, "We need to go to my lab and finish translating this tablet. Maybe it will have some clue as to how the orb works and how to stop what is happening to Sam."

Back in the infirmary, Sam was still not responding to any outside stimuli. Janet was in her office studying the results of the latest round of tests. She reached up and massaged her forehead. She couldn't figure out what was going on at this point and fatigue was starting to make itself known. All of the blood cultures and tests other than the EEG were coming back normal. Well, normal for someone who was once blended with a Tok'ra. Her next test was going to be an MRI, now that Sam seemed stable enough to move. As she gave the orders for the MRI to the nurse, she knew she would need to make her way to General Hammond's office to give him an update. She only hoped that Daniel and Teal'c were making some headway on the tablet that they had found in the temple.

As she was preparing to leave the infirmary, she stopped to check on Sam one more time. She saw Colonel O'Neill sitting in the chair next to the bed. She had forgotten her warning to him and much more than five minutes had passed. Colonel O'Neill was dozing and she noted that this was one of the few places where he actually did catch some sleep. She reached over and gently tapped his shoulder, saying, "Colonel, please take a break and get some real rest."

Jack looked at Sam and then to Janet. He asked quietly, "Janet, have any of the results shed any light on what is going on?" Janet shook her head no. "Colonel, please go take care of yourself, I have this feeling whatever is causing this is going to take some time to figure out. For Sam's sake please get yourself some food and rest. I will contact you if her condition changes in the slightest."

Jack nodded his head and left the infirmary. As he walked down the corridor, head down and hands in his pockets, he headed for Carter's lab. He really couldn't think about anything but getting his 2IC back and the resident geek and stoic Jaffa were his best bet now.

* * *

A/N: I know this on eis short but I will update another chapter tomorrow-and it's longer!


	8. The Orb 8

A/N: For disclaimer see chapter 1 or well, to summarize, I don't own Stargate. I'm just putting the characters in a little mortal danger.

Thank you again for all your reviews. They are so awesome to receive!

The Orb

Chapter 8

"_Daniel Jackson," Teal's said sadly, "I believe Major Carter's life is in grave danger."_

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c continued, "I believe I may have located some passages about the orb." Daniel got up from his chair and joined him at Sam's desk. Teal'c pointed to one of the tablets.

"This inscription tells of a spherical object that was used to acquire information from and to cause great pain in prisoners. When activated, it uses force to enter the captive and begins its programmed function."

Daniel thought for a moment and said, "Program? It sounds like this orb is a machine. Does it tell who the orb's creator was or what is was programmed to do?"

"Indeed, it does not or I have not come across that information." said Teal'c. "Perhaps these last few tablets will reveal more."

Teal'c was very concerned about how Major Carter was doing, but realized if they were going to find out anything more about the orb, he needed to keep going on the translation.

Teal'c was very aware that Daniel's attentions were divided at the moment between Major Carter and the tablets.

"Daniel Jackson, should you not go and attend to Colonel O'Neill and check on Major Carter? I will endeavor to study the rest of the tablets to gather more information on the orb."

Daniel realized that Teal'c was right. "Only for a couple minutes, I want to be here when you find out more." Teal's nodded and sat back down to continue.

Daniel headed down the dull gray corridor towards the elevator. He could not believe that Sam was possibly going to be going through yet another ordeal. His memories of past missions and times when Sam was in trouble flew through his head, most recently the entity. She almost died, no, she_ had_ died. If Janet hadn't found a way to get her consciousness back into her body, he would have lost his best friend. In fact, there were many times he thought of her as the sister he never had. They could tell each other anything.

He stepped onto the elevator and pushed the floor for the infirmary. As the car jumped into motion, he thought about planet where they have found the artifacts. It was a planet like most others, lots of trees (Jack's favorite), some naquadah readings for Sam to investigate and some ruins where he hope to come across some "rocks" as Jack called them. They had followed a worn path though a lush green valley and had come upon a ruined temple. In one of the chambers he had come across a box with the orb and the tablets in them. When they hadn't found anything else of value and no signs of habitation on the planet, they had ended the mission and headed back through the Stargate.

The elevator stopped and he followed the corridor to the infirmary. As he entered, he expected to see Jack in his usual chair next to her bed, but the chair was empty.

Janet entered the infirmary a moment later and headed his way.

"Hi Janet, how is Sam doing?" Daniel asked, hoping to hear something good. He motioned with his head toward Sam's bed. Seeing all of the tubes, wires and machines, including the respirator, attached to Sam's pale body was painful for him to look at.

"I just got back from updating General Hammond on the Major's status. I'm sorry Daniel, I am still waiting on a few test results and we're going to take Major Carter for an MRI in about a half an hour if her breathing remains stable."

Janet moved closer to Sam and checked the machines. She looked at Daniel and said, "You just missed the Colonel, I sent him away to take a break. There's nothing more he can do here at the moment."

He noted the fatigue showing in her face and he knew that she would get no rest until Sam was better. He proceeded to tell Janet what he and Teal'c had found out so far from the tablets.

"I hope Teal'c comes up with something on the tablets on how to reverse whatever is happening to Sam." Janet said with frustration in her voice. "I'm running out of tests to run and I still don't have any answers."

* * *

A/N: I will try to keep updating as often as possible. I have a couple busy weeks ahead, so please be patient. I'm excited to finish the story and read your reviews as much as I hope you enjoy reading it. 


	9. The Orb 9

A/N: Ok this chapter may be that last one for a couple days, but I promise to update as soon as possible.

"_I hope Teal'c comes up with something on the tablets on how to reverse whatever is happening to Sam." Janet said with frustration in her voice. "I'm running out of tests to run and I still don't have any answers."_

* * *

The Orb

Chapter 9

Janet went to her office to finish arranging Sam's MRI, so Daniel felt he should make his way back to help Teal'c work out the translation. Well, maybe watch Teal'c was a better term. It wasn't often that he couldn't figure out a language. Maybe it was just because he was distracted with his concern for his friend. He decided to stop off at his office to see if any of his anthropology books would shed any light as to what type of civilization lived on the planet SG1 last visited (And of course, he needed coffee…badly).

Sam arose to consciousness and slowly tired to open her eyes to see her surroundings, and this time she was able to will them to open a bit. The brightness of the infirmary invaded her senses like a spotlight. She was aware that Janet must have removed the respirator because her throat was sore and dry. As she became more lucid, she suddenly remembered why she was in the infirmary. 'The orb, she thought, it was glowing in my lab. And then the Colonel called out to me and I turned…' And that was the last thing she could remember before the brief times she woke and could hear things around her.

She tried to turn her head to see if the doctor was nearby and was met with a wall of pain and the buzzing sounds she has heard earlier returned. She tried to relax and return to her original position. "There, she thought, that's better. If I just don't move, I'll be ok, but boy this must be one killer headache for my ears to be buzzing.' She was reminded of the last time she came to and the pattern that the sounds were making. Sam couldn't understand what would be whirring unless it was the respirator. Now the respirator was off and she could still hear the sounds. She thought…'It sounds mechanical' and started feeling drowsy again. She was sure that someone would have checked on her by now and seen her eyes open, but no one was around. She didn't have the strength to hold it open anymore and she fell into another blackout period of sleep.

As Jack had made his way to Sam's lab, flashes of the morning's events burst into his mind. It reminded him of the Tok'ra memory device. The images just rushed before his eyes. He paused and squeezed his eyes to shut out the memories. When he opened his eyes he realized that he was standing in almost the exact spot where he witnessed his 2IC being struck. A shiver ran down his spine and he entered.

Teal'c stood and greeted the Colonel with a nod.

"Have you found out anything Teal'c?"

"Colonel O'Neill. I have, however I do not believe that you will be pleased."

Jack said warily, "Lay it on me, these things never seem to be a walk in the park anyway. We've all been in worse situations, right?"

Teal'c knew when to, as Colonel O'Neill put it, "tell a little white lie", and replied "Indeed" in his usual fashion. He explained what he had found and that he was a few tablets away from what might be answers to Major Carter's condition.

Jack sunk down into one of Sam's chairs and thought to himself. 'So it's a machine? What started it and made it attack Sam? How can we stop it?'

Teal'c could do nothing but watch the play of emotions run across the Colonel's face. He knew how deep the Colonel's feelings ran when it came to his 2IC, even if he didn't realize it himself.

Teal'c sat back down to continue the translation. After about 15 minutes, O'Neill started playing with some pencils that were left out on the table, tapping and spinning them, and Teal'c was getting annoyed.

"Colonel O'Neill, would you mind leaving this room? I believe that silence and stillness will aid me in finishing my task."

"Sure thing." said Jack, knowing that there really wasn't anything he could do here anyway. "I'll go back to the infirmary and see if Major Carter's had her MRI yet."

Back in the infirmary, he noticed the distinct lack of personnel and took that moment to go to Sam's bedside. He lifted her pale hand and wrapped it in his own strong tanned one.

"Sam, I know you can hear me, keep fighting. Teal'c is looking for answers and we're going to find out what the orb did to you. Please hang in there for me, I mean the team. We all need you."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. What is the ORB? See chapter….Sam's MRI. (insert evil laugh here.) 


	10. The Orb 10

A/N: OK, I'll hopefully be wrapping this up in another couple of chapters. Thank you for all the kind reviews-they are a great inspiration!

* * *

The Orb

Chapter 10

Jack had fallen asleep but was still holding Sam's hand when Janet came back from reporting to General Hammond. She paused at the sight and wished somehow things would work out for the two of them, that somehow rules would be changed. Her meeting with the General hadn't gone well. He told her that he had tried contacting the Tok'ra, the Tollan and the Asgard, but as of yet none had replied to his hails. And then she had to tell him that she was still not sure of what the orb had done to Sam and why she hadn't regained consciousness yet. Janet hoped the MRI she was about to run on Sam would show something that she could treat.

She approached the bed and Jack awoke. "Hi Doc, have you found anything new?"

A nurse entered the infirmary and nodded to Dr. Frasier. Janet replied, "Nurse Richards and I need to get Major Carter to the MRI lab. Why don't you just rest on one of the other beds until we bring her back?"

Jack rubbed his face and looked as if he was going to argue, but he kept quiet.

Janet could tell he was contemplating the idea and left it up to him. She and the nurse got Sam's IV lines and heart monitor situated for travel. When they were ready, she said to the Colonel, who had already commandeered a bed next to where Sam's was. "This should take about an hour or so, I have some one call you when we are done." With that, she turned and left the infirmary.

"Thanks Janet, I'll be here." Jack replied groggily. Sleep was already starting to overtake him and she was glad that he might get an hour of rest.

* * *

Down the hall, Dr, Frasier and Nurse Richards were getting Major Carter onto the table that would move into the large MRI machine. When all was ready, Janet motioned the Nurse to leave the room and she went to the observation room. She looked down at the computers that would show images of Sam's brain, and hopefully a reason her condition.

Janet started the scan and sat down to monitor the progress.

* * *

In Sam's lab, Daniel had rejoined Teal'c, who was just finishing the last tablet. Teal'c hadn't spoken to anyone since Colonel O'Neill had left and had "indeed" finished his task.

Teal'c stood and looked down at Daniel, who was seated at Major Carter's work table, and spoke slowly.

"Daniel Jackson, I have gathered the information on the object that attacked Major Carter." Daniel was about ready to interrupt, but Teal'c continued. "The tablets relay how Set ordered this device created by his top scientists to torture and punish those who had betrayed him, and to gain information from those he captured on other worlds. It does not say how this device was administered to the captive, but once in the body it was reported to disintegrate and become one with its victim."

Teal'c then paused, waited to for Daniel to ask his usual rapid fire questions, but Daniel was uncharacteristically quiet.

"The orb was programmed to locate the major life sustaining organs in any species and to be able to shut them down at will. They are said to be able to cause great pain for long periods of time or to cause instant death."

At this Daniel's head shot up and he asked, "How do we remove it? Has anyone or anything survived it?" Daniel's mind was speeding through a plethora of unanswered questions.

Teal'c just waited for Daniel's barrage to end and then replied. "I regret that the tablets do not tell of such things, Daniel Jackson. Maybe a trip back to the planet and talking to a native would be prudent."

Daniel looking for anything he could do to help Sam, was rushed with a sense of new hope. "I'll go to General Hammond and make the request. I think I need you with me to explain what you have found. We should go see the General immediately."

* * *

Back in the MRI lab, Janet had been watching the scan's progress and couldn't believe what she was witnessing. There were thousands of nanites in the Major's brain and they were moving around like bees in a hive. She immediately called General Hammond's office to summon him to the observation room. She punched in commands in the computer to do a full body scan. The quantity of nanites was frightening. How could she still be alive with all these in her system? Even when Colonel O'Neill had only a portion of these nanites in his body from one of SG1's missions, he had major effects occur in his body, including rapid aging.

Janet grabbed the phone again and called the medical lab and told the technicians to look for the presence of the nanites in the earlier blood samples they took from Major Carter.

'Why didn't these show up in her blood screens?' She was slightly bewildered.

Janet looked again at the monitor as the MRI continued. In every one of Sam's major organs was a high concentration of these machines with what looked to be pathways of traveling nanites between them, like a super highway during rush hour.

"Oh, Sam. What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

* * *

A/N: Ta da! Was it a surprise, or did anyone figure this out earlier? Well, I still have a few more surprises, so stay with me here. Thanks for reading and reviewing! 


	11. The Orb 11

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm glad I surprised you with my orb!

Disclaimer: As before, I don't own Stargate or the characters…

* * *

"_Oh, Sam. What have you gotten yourself into this time?" _

The Orb

Chapter 11

Sam was in the process of being scanned by the MRI machine when she came to again. She was aware of the closeness around her and she wished she could somehow break herself out of her inner prison. She was aware of what was happening around her, but was not in control of her own body. Her head was still throbbing. 'This has GOT to be the worst headache ever.' She reflected.

Janet was still watching from the control room, wishing that her friend would just get up off the gurney and that somehow this was just a dream gone terribly wrong. As she looked through the glass, she remembered many of the good times they had spent raising Cassie, an orphaned alien girl, together. She would miss her friend very much if this time things ended badly.

Sam felt the gurney slide forward and she could hear the knocking noise that the machine made. Suddenly, she felt the throbbing in her head get faster and pain started traveling along her nervous system. The pain made her arm jerk and her hand lift off the gurney. Janet was snapped out of her reminiscing by Sam's movement. She yelled to the nurse who has just returned to the room to see if the doctor needed assistance. "Shut it down! Shut it down now!", and raced into the room with Sam.

"Dr. Frasier, the machine won't shut off. It isn't responding to the computer commands."

Nurse Richards frantically pushed more buttons on the keyboard. Still the MRI kept going.

It was as if Sam was taking the energy into her body from the machine.

Sam could feel the lightning bolts of pain shooting down her arms and legs and she thought her head would explode. Her body was convulsing on the gurney and threatened to fall to the floor. Janet reached the machine and hit the emergency shut off button on the side panel. Sam's body strained one last time and then fell limp onto the gurney.

Janet ordered the nurse to call for help and rushed to Sam's side. She checked lifted her eyelids and found that Sam's eyes had rolled back into her head, a sign of seizure. She checked her pulse and found it racing, but it was returning to a normal rate. A medical team was just arriving.

General Hammond came into the observation room at that moment and saw Major Carter's lower legs moving out of the MRI machine and Janet was pacing in front of the gurney.

"Dr. Frasier, what is going on down here?" The General waited for a response as calmly as he could. He had heard the alarms and was extremely anxious.

"General, Major Carter seemed to have a seizure while she was in the machine." Janet replied.

The phone rang and Janet answered after asking the General to excuse her for a moment.

Hammond looked through the window at the medical team that was checking over the Major.

With a 'thank you' to whomever she was speaking with, Janet hung up the phone.

Hammond looked at her and silently waited for her to report.

"General, I don't even believe this myself. You need to see these scans of her brain." Janet said.

She reset the computer to start with Sam's head scans. When the screen replayed where the MRI scan had her entire brain in the view, she pointed to the computer.

"There appears to be thousands of nanites located in her brain, with uncountable numbers throughout Major Carter's entire body. They are similar to what the Colonel had, but they definitely are not acting the same. They are localized near her major organs and they seem to be moving back and forth through these streams that you will see as the scan continues."

General Hammond leaned forward, shocked at what he was seeing. He couldn't believe that Major Carter was still alive, of course her condition was serious enough already, but how could anyone exist with all these machines running rampant in their body.

"Why weren't they detected in the earlier tests? Have you discovered what they are doing to the Major?" He questioned, the concern very evident in his voice.

"Yes, just after I called for you, I called down to my lab and had the technicians look for the nanites in her blood samples. They rushed the results and that call was from the lab. The nanites were in her blood samples, but we didn't detect them the first time because they had fused with the protein marker and naquadah already in Major Carter's blood. As to what they are doing to Sam's body, from what we can tell the nanites in her brain are blocking the neural centers that tell the major systems what they should be doing. The nanites that are around her organs seem to be just surrounding them for now. Others are just traveling from place to place. As for the seizure, I don't know what caused it yet."

The General informed Dr. Frasier that the Tok'ra had finally responded to their calls. They were going to try to come as soon as Jacob Carter was back from his most recent mission. Maybe the Tok'ra had come across this technology previously. All they could do was wait until the Tok'ra arrived at the SGC.

"Ma'am", Nurse Richards called over to Dr. Frasier, "We're going tot take Major Carter back to the infirmary. She is stable again."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Janet then turned back to her CO.

The General was looking at the scans and was now seeing what the doctor had mentioned about the streams of nanites traveling. The nanites that were around her organs just seemed to be waiting, he thought. Like a battalion of soldiers waiting for their standing orders. Shocked at what he had just imagined, he felt a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. 'What happens if those nanites "get their orders?"', he thought, and the bad feeling only got worse.

The klaxons sounded along with the announcement, "Unscheduled Off-world Activation" which came bellowing over the PA system. The General excused himself and hurried to the control room. Hopefully, that was the Tok'ra now.

"Dr. Frasier, have the rest of SG1 meet me and the visitors in the briefing room."

"Yes, sir." Janet replied. She made the arrangements and went personally to get Colonel O'Neil from the infirmary, where she knew he would still be camped out.

* * *

A/N: I'll try to have the last couple chapters up by this weekend. Thanks for seeing this story through and reviewing! 


	12. The Orb 12

The Orb

Chapter 12

As the remainder of SG1 entered the briefing room, they noted that Dr. Frasier, General Hammond and two Tok'ra guests were seated at the table. Jacob Carter and Selmak had brought another Tok'ra, Aldwin, with him.

"Please be seated, SG1", the General announced. "I have filled in the Tok'ra with the newest information we have on Major Carter's condition. They believe that have something that may help her.

"Dr. Frasier, would you please show the Tok'ra here and SG1, what you found in Major Carter's MRI scans." The General ordered.

Janet got up and put the tape into the machine, pressed play and as they all watched, Daniel and Teal'c caught glimpses of the emotions coming from Jack's face. They both saw shock, hurt, anger and then worry reach the surface.

"Holy Hannah," was all that was uttered by Jack, unaware that he had just used one of Carter's favorite phrases. Jacob threw a surprised look in his direction, but didn't say a word.

"I have never seen this technology before," offered Teal'c.

Daniel asked, "Where did those nanites come from? Were they inside the orb? How did they get into Sam?"

"Daniel Jackson, from what the General has told me, Teal'c has translated many of the tablets that your SG team found with the orb." Aldwin stated. "I believe that the Tok'ra has come across the answers to some of your questions."

Selmak took over from this point. "George, it looks like the Goa'uld stole Tollan technology. They had been using that technology with the orb to make it able to pass through the outside of the body. From what we have learned, the orb has to strike the body before the Tollan technology can be activated. Once inside, the orb disintegrates in to the thousands of nanites and invades the persons system. The energy of the orb must have been drained and it had to use great force to pass through into Sam's head."

"The good news is that there is a machine that was created to remove the nanites from a prisoner's body," Aldwin continued, "However, from what we can ascertain it has never been used.

"Dr. Frasier, how much time do you think we have to find this device and find out if it works?" interjected General Hammond.

"I'd have to say that at the rate her body is shutting down, maybe 12 hours at the outside, before she becomes critical." Janet replied.

"SG1 you mission is to return to the planet where you found the orb, look for this machine and see if it can aid Major Carter. The Tok'ra will be accompanying you. You will depart at 0800 tomorrow morning, now get some rest." Hammond stood as he said this, showing that the meeting was over. "Jacob, there's time for you to go down and spend some time with Sam before you leave."

"Thanks, George." Jacob then left the briefing room.

The rest of SG1 didn't move form their seats. Jack said. "I hope the planet is still in one piece." He was referring to the earthquake-like tremors that had been occurring during their last mission. A couple of the pillars surrounding the temple had looked as if they were going to topple over at any minute. He had rushed to get his team off the planet and was hoping that the answer to Sam's condition hadn't been destroyed in their absence.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, the medical team was keeping a close eye on Major Carter. Jacob Carter had just left a few minutes earlier after spending time with his daughter. Sam's readings had been all over the charts since the incident in the MRI lab. Janet rushed in to check on her patient. She had stopped at the commissary to get something to eat and had felt the urgent need to be near her friend.

"Is she still stable?" she inquired of the nurse who had assisted her earlier.

"Yes, ma'am, but her vitals still haven't returned to normal."

"OK, take a break and I'll keep watch." Janet went over to Sam's bed. Of all the things that would have been the death of one them, she thought it would always be off-world at the hands of some Goa'uld and his army. Not something here on Earth, that appeared harmless. Looking down at Sam, she spoke out loud. "Sam if you can hear me, hold on. Your team is going through the gate with the Tok'ra to check out a cure."

Sam heard her friend, but couldn't make a move to indicate that she had. Sam felt like she had been shocked by a, as the Colonel would say, "big honkin' zat." Her body ached from whatever the MRI machine did to her. And her headache was even more intense now than it had been earlier. Every part of her body hurt. But above everything she could still hear that incessant buzzing.

She watched as Sam's eyes moved under her eyelids as if she was dreaming. Janet studied the Sam's chart and noted that several of Sam's major organs were failing, now more rapidly than before.

"Damn," she thought, "we have less time than I thought."

* * *

A/N: Due to some computer problems, Imight not be able to upload the last chapters until later this week. Please keep checking back! Thanks for reviewing! 


	13. The Orb 13

A/N: Ok this is the final chapter. Thank you to all who have been with me from the beginning! Get ready for a REALLY long chapter!

"_Damn," she thought, "we have less time than I thought."_

* * *

The Orb

Chapter 13

Jack spent the night in the infirmary with Sam. He had crept in after Janet and her nurses took a break and sat in his usual chair holding her hand. Jack had a smile on his face all the while he was sneaking in. 'Never know when you need to use the old Black Ops techniques.' He had stayed up most of the night talking to Sam and caressing her hand. At some point he had dozed off and now he awoke to a hand on his shoulder.

Jacob had see Jack sleeping in the chair holding hands with his daughter and smiled. He knew that they had feelings toward each other and even though Jack wouldn't have been his first choice for Sam, he was a good man.

"Jack." It was Jacob. "Go get something to eat. We'll be leaving in to hours and I want some time with her. Thank you for staying with her last night. I had to return to the Tok'ra base for some supplies for our mission."

Jack stretched and then stood up and nodded to Jacob. "No problem." He knew that he needed to keep his strength up for Sam, so he did as he was told. He turned to look at Sam again as he approached the door and whispered, "No problem at all."

* * *

The team was now assembled in the gate room with the Tok'ra and their supplies. General Hammond wished them luck and ordered the technician to dial the gate. The sent the MALP and also the FRED (Field Remote Expeditionary Device) with additional supplies. They didn't know what to expect once they arrived at the temple.

The gate opened with a whoosh and the mobile units followed by the Tok'ra were already moving through it. Jack took one last look up to the control room towards his CO.

"Find the cure," Hammond told Jack as he watched the others move through the gate. Daniel and Teal'c made no move until Jack did. As they walked through together, Hammond thought he heard Jack say, "Come on kids, we're off to see the wizard."

As they passed through the wormhole and stepped out, the four were greeted with the same barren landscape they had experienced upon their first mission there.

"Teal'c, you take point." Jack ordered.

Teal'c replied with a precise nod and took his position in the lead.

The Tok'ra Aldwin and Jacob followed and Jack and Daniel took up the rear. Daniel controlled the remote control for the FRED and they left the MALP at the gate.

"Crap, all those damn trees are still here." Jack mumbled under his breath, just loud enough that only Daniel could hear. With that remark, Jack started to walk to join the rest of the party. Daniel suppressed a laugh and moved to follow him.

Aldwin inquired, "In which direction are ruins where you first encountered the orb?"

"It was about 8 clicks to the northwest." Jack replied, "We should be able to get there within a couple hours." Jack really hoped that magically the device would be right there waiting for them and that they would grab it and head home before Sam could get any worse.

Teal'c had already been setting a lightning pace, but no one complained.

Sam's life was hanging on this mission.

* * *

Janet was checking Sam's vitals for about the fiftieth time in the last half hour. There were two nurses assigned to monitor the Major's status, but Janet wanted to be there for Sam, no matter what. Janet knew that SG1 and the Tok'ra were probably on the planet now and prayed that they would find the answer to save her friend. Her patient's decline was a steady descent now and her kidneys had failed. She was now on dialysis and her other major systems were getting close to shutdown. The nanites seemed to be completing their final programming. At this time there were probably millions in Major Carter's body and they were keeping her close to death.

'We really need to buy a sarcophagus,' Janet thought, 'what's a little addictive side affect when a life hangs in the balance? It's not like we'd be using it repeatedly on the same person. Well, ok, maybe in SG1-s case it would be used repeatedly. It would be worth it in the end for all the times that they have and would continue to save the Earth from certain disaster.'

Janet's thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of the heart monitor by Sam's head. She moved closer to read the machine. Sam's heart rate was getting slower and her blood oxygenation percentage was declining. She turned to one of the nurses and told her to get the crash cart. 'Just in case.' she told herself. She fitted an oxygen mask over Sam's face and turned on the oxygen.

* * *

Teal'c had stopped in on the path and held up his staff weapon. The party stopped behind him. They could see the temple a short distance away.

"O'Neill, we have arrived at our destination."

"Ok, everyone let's go inside and find that orb-removing thingy." Jack said solemnly. "Daniel you're with me and Teal'c you go with our friends here."

They split up and explored the ruins a room at a time. Daniel and Jack started in the room that Daniel had found the orb and tablets. There were two massive stone pillars that had fallen and some of the roof had caved in since their last visit. They picked over stones and rocks and were just about ready to move onto the next room when Jack's radio crackled to life.

It was Teal'c. "O'Neill, I believe we have located the device. We are attempting to break it free from the rubble. Aldwin is proceeding to your location and will guide you to us."

A moment later Aldwin entered the room and motioned to follow him. With a hurried pace, they jogged down the narrow passage to the other room. Daniel's hopes rose as they got nearer and he hoped that the device was intact and operational. Even though it was rumored never have been tested on a human, he had high hoped that the technology would still work on Sam. It had to.

They rushed into the chamber and saw Teal'c and Jacob Carter both examining a cylindrical pod, just large enough to fit a human. It was leaning back against a wall surrounded by rocks and it appeared to have been struck by falling debris. There were raised symbols on the outside on what appeared to be a control panel. They could see that the pod was empty through the translucent door.

"Daniel Jackson, there was a tablet lying near the machine. It has the same symbols as are notated on the device." Teal'c said as he saw his friend enter the large room. The chamber looked like it had been an ancient laboratory. Many broken machines lay scattered among the stones and rocks.

Jacob motioned for Jack to come closer, "Other than this one pillar that had collapsed, we found the room was in good condition. The pod had been sitting on a pedestal and the pillar had knocked it from its perch. We were trying to determine if it had caused irreparable damage but it looks as if just the outer shell was damaged."

"Let's get them both back to the SGC pronto and make the determinations there. I want to make sure we are back as quickly as possible." Jack said. "We'll need the FRED to get this back to the gate."

As they discussed the best course of action, the ground suddenly trembled. Debris sifted down from the roof along with some small stones.

Jacob yelled over the rumbling, "We need to at least get it out of this chamber before these rocks do any damage."

Jack turned towards Daniel and shouted, "Daniel why don't you go back to the entrance prepare FRED. We'll figure out how to move the machine out to somewhere a little safer. Daniel nodded his head and headed out of the chamber at a jog.

Jack turned back and watched as Aldwin and Teal'c moved over to assist Jacob in moving the pod, which was heavier than it looked. It took all three if them just to lay it down horizontally on the ground.

"What's this thing made of? Lead?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"I'm sure Samantha would go into a dissertation onwhich periodic elements it was created with." Jacob countered.

They both looked down at the ground with just the thought of her. They _had_ to have found the right device.

"Alright, Teal'c, what can we use to get this out of the temple?" Jack asked. "Got any Jaffa tricks of the trade that we can use?"

* * *

General Hammond stood in front of the large reinforced glass window which overlooked the gate. It was now 1130 hours and he hadn't heard anything from the Colonel's team since they had departed earlier that morning. They were due to check in with the SGC in a little less than thirty minutes. Hopefully they would report that they had indeed found something that would help Major Carter.

Down in the infirmary, chaos was running rampant. Alarms were beeping, nurses were rushing to get medications and Dr. Frasier along with her team were doing everything they could to keep Major Carter's condition from crashing. They were winning this skirmish, but barely. Sam was hooked up to just about every machine they had available. Janet's patience was wearing thin. She wasn't going to stand by and let this happen to her best friend. 'Where the hell is he Colonel?' she thought, 'He damn well better hurry.'

* * *

They hauled the pod out of the chamber just in time, as the ceiling let go just after they passed the threshold. Daniel was calling to them over the radio. "Where are you guys? Things don't look good out here."

Jack answered, "We'll be there in a jiffy, this thing ain't exactly 'light as a feather'."

Finally, they exited the temple and Daniel had the FRED in position. All they had to do was lift the pod…

"For crying out loud, how are we going to lift this up on there?" Jack yelled, frustration evident in his tone.

"Maybe we won't have to", said Jacob, "do you have some strong rope or a chain?"

"Yeah, what do you have in mind?" Jack asked.

"Well, the FRED has a winch doesn't it? We could wrap the chain around a tree and winch it up onto it." Jacob replied. "Unless you have a better idea."

Jack smiled, "Sounds like a plan to me. Let's give it a go."

They attached the chain to the pod and then wrapped it around the strongest tree in the area. Jack attached it to the winch and when all was ready, he started the winch's motor. It groaned and strained but after a few tense moments, when the pod looked like it would roll off the side of the FRED, they had it secured and ready to move. The tremors didn't help the situation either. The ground was still shaking, but things were better now that they were outside.

"Ok guys, let's get this back pronto." Jack led the team back to the path that would lead them back to the gate. Anytime General Hammond would probably dial up and check in. They would forty-five minutes overdue, not very long under normal conditions, but someone's life was in the balance.

They made their way back to the gate, making better time than on the way to the temple. The Stargate was in sight when it sprang to life. There was no getting out of sight if it were an unfriendly visitor, so they kept moving towards it.

Jack's radio crackled and General Hammond's voice came over the air. "Colonel O'Neill, what is your status?"

"We're at the gate. Would you mind shutting it down so we can come home? We have the device. How is Major Carter?"

"You'd better hurry. We're shutting down now." The gate shutdown and immediately Daniel began to dial home. The gate reopened and Daniel entered the code into the GDO. As soon as the reply was received, they drove the FRED up the steps and through the gate to home.

"Welcome back, Colonel. We are preparing an observation room to set up the device and as soon as it is operational we will transfer Major Carter to it." General Hammond said as the FRED came to a halt at the bottom of the ramp.

* * *

A team of technicians took charge of the pod and Hammond sent Teal'c to translate the tablet. Jack and Daniel just paced the hallways until they were allowed to enter the observation room where the pod would hopefully save Major Carter.

The pod and translation were finished about the same time. General Hammond assembled everyone in the briefing room and gave Teal'c the floor to announce what he had learned.

"General Hammond, the tablet offers instructions on how the machine was devised to work. Essentially, the subject was placed inside, the machine would be activated and through a process I do not understand, the nanites would reform into the orb and exit the body using the Tollan technology. Unfortunately, there is nothing to show that this procedure was successful. It describes testing using different sets of symbols, but does not mention the exact outcome." Teal'c then sat down. "I believe I have found the series of symbols that offer the best of chances according to the tablet. Sergeant Siler will need to attach a naquadah generator to power the device."

Dr. Frasier wasn't too sure about risking Major Carter on a "test", but at this point there wasn't much else they could do. "Whatever we do, we need to do now. We are losing her minute by minute."

General Hammond spoke up "Looks as if we don't have much of a choice. Jacob, what do you say?"

Jacob said softly, "Let's give it a go."

Janet, Jacob and Teal'c were the only personnel allowed in the room with the pod and Major Carter. Jacob because Carter was his daughter, Teal'c because he translated the tablet and could read the symbols and Janet, well, because she wouldn't let anyone touch Major Carter unless she was there.

Jacob lifted his unconscious daughter from the gurney and moved to place her inside the pod. All of the tubes and wires had been disconnected from her. She was barely breathing on her own and Janet wasn't sure at times that she was breathing. Somehow the nanites were keeping her right at the brink of death.

Jacob noticed how light she was, like she was a little girl again. He gently placed her inside and immediately the pod lit up inside. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and closed the cover. He backed away from the pod and nodded to Teal'c. The Jaffa moved to the side of the pod and entered a series of symbols from the control panel. The pod hummed and Janet moved closer to see her patient inside. They had no idea how long the process would last so they stayed in the room, pacing. Of course, there was more of the same outside as well. Daniel and General Hammond were in the hallway and Aldwin was staying in the guest quarters. He didn't feel comfortable being around Jacob and his daughter during the procedure.

And then there was Jack. He sat up in the glassed in area of the observation room and watched everything. His eyes locked upon his 21C's face, as well as he could see it through the hazy cover. He was keeping watch, just like when they were offworld. He was their protector, their leader, their friend.

About a half hour later, the machine let out a hiss and the interior light went dim, then brightened again. From inside the machine, Janet could hear moans coming from Major Carter.

"I think she's coming around." Janet moved to lift the cover to the pod and was shocked that it would not release. "Why won't this budge?" She asked, and looked towards Teal'c. The moans were increasing and Sam was trying to move around. Her movements were jerky and her face was scrunched up in pain.

"Jacob, can you get this open?" Janet cried out. She was increasingly concerned about Sam's condition. She could hurt herself inside in her weakened state.

"Dr. Frasier, I do not believe we should attempt to open the device until it ceases its cycle. It may harm Major Carter more if we try to remove her now." Teal'c stated calmly.

Sam's eyes were now open and she could see her friends and her father outside this thing she was in. The pain was intense. She felt like she was being turned inside out. She could hear the buzzing like a swarm of a million angry bees. She wanted it to stop, she wanted out of there NOW. She banged her palms on the cover, hoping to free herself from this confinement, but to no avail.

Her screaming shook Jack to the core. He had to look away, unable to stand hearing her in such agony. He wished the machine would finish so he could hold her and comfort her, even though he knew that was impossible here under these conditions, with certain personnel around.

The machines humming escalated to whining along with Sam's screams. Janet could see the nanites under the skin in her arms and neck; they were heading to where they had entered, her head.

Janet could not imagine how all those nanites would get out, but just wanted them to do so before they killed her friend.

Sam's agonizing wail reached its peak and at that moment, there appeared a bulge on the side of her head. It looked as if she had gotten whacked with a baseball bat and the swelling was rising fast. And then before anyone could react, the air seemed to ripple, like when you see heat rising off hot asphalt, there in front of Sam appeared the orb. Solid and floating inside the pod. The orb was glowing and pulsing like Jack had seen right in Carter's lab. Sam slumped inside the pod with a final groan escaping her lips.

Jack was out of the glassed area and ran down to get into the room with Sam.

Inside, the pod's sounds lowered in pitch as if it was shutting down. The orb also was acting different. The pulses were growing farther apart and it was not glowing as bright. It looked as if the device had in fact cancelled the orb's programming. The orb fell to the bottom of the pod with a metallic clang and the cover finally released, hissing as it opened.

Janet was the first one to check on Major Carter. She felt for a pulse. "I have a faint pulse. Let's get her out of this thing and back to the infirmary." The door opened and Jack rushed in.

"Colonel, you can't be in here right now. I've got to get her back to the infirmary. She's very weak and I don't know what added damage has been done." Behind Jack came two medics with a gurney. Jacob lifted Sam and Janet led them running back to her domain.

* * *

Two hours later, General Hammond, Jacob and SG1 were allowed in to see Sam. Janet felt reasonable sure that the pod had not worsened her condition and if anything actually reversed some of the damage the nanites caused. However, she was still weak and needed medical attention. She had given them the facts in the hallway before she allowed them access.

"Major Carter is still very weak but her condition is improving. It will take some time before she awakens and is strong enough to communicate. Please only stay a few minutes. Jacob you can stay longer."

Daniel and Teal'c moved to Sam's bedside. Daniel touched her hand and whispered words of encouragement. That she was needed and that he missed their talks. Teal'c spoke of her being a warrior and that she should continue to battle her way back to the team. They were replaced by General Hammond who quietly told her that she needed to get better because she was irreplaceable at the SGC and that the team would not be the same until she was back on her feet.

Jack was one of the last to go in. He knew that with Jacob there, he wasn't going to be able to take up his watch at her bedside. He approached her bed and took her hand, looking to make sure no one was watching. As he bent down to sit in the familiar plastic chair, his lips brushed the back of her hand.

"Sam, you really had me worried this time. I keep telling you not to play with those ancient doohickeys." Jack watched her face for any reaction. He only saw her in a peaceful sleep.

He leaned back in the chair, still holding her hand. Now he didn't care who walked in right now.

Sam was going to be alright. Maybe this time he'd tell her what she meant to him when she awoke. "Sweet dreams, Samantha."

* * *

Well, here it is my first fic done. I hope this last chapter wasn't too long and I hope it was worth the wait. Please let me know what you thought! Thanks everyone!


End file.
